Historical city landmark on tap to be demolished

The news that the hotel could soon be gone is a tough pill to swallow for members of the Prince Albert Historical Society.

Those like Ken Guedo, who works in the archives department, remember the golden days of the hotel and how it was one of the best places to be.

“There were lots of people working right in the downtown area and some of them would come to whatever downtown hotel, go for a beer or lunch or after work,” he said.

(submitted photo/Prince Albert Historical Society)

“The fact that it’s the last of Prince Albert’s original hotels bothers me that it’s going to be gone,” he added. “For years and years, there were five to six hotels in the downtown.”

Some of those hotels he mentioned included the Lincoln, the Marlboro which is now a Travelodge, the Avenue Hotel and the Empress which burned down and is now where an A&W is located.

The site of the National Hotel once belonged to the Prince Albert Hotel, which was destroyed in a fire in February 1904. At the time, that hotel had 48 rooms. All those guests lost their belongings, escaping with the clothes on their backs.

The losses after the fire cost around $20,000 for the hotel, while the fire also claimed Horton’s Barber Shop, A.E. Matheson’s furnishings and Mrs. Stewart’s dry goods establishment.

It took no more than an hour for the building to be reduced to a heap of ash.

It didn’t take long though until a new establishment would be built at that site. In June 1904, a ceremony was held to lay the cornerstone for the new Prince Albert Hotel, which would later be known as the National Hotel.

Mayor William Gillmor was on hand for the ceremony and helped lay the stone using a silver trowel which was engraved to commemorate the occasion.

Over the years, the National Hotel changed ownership several times from the original proprietor D. Pollock to the McLeod family, to Tom Michas, to W. Henley of Estevan, and Harry MacKay. Currently, the land title for the National belongs to Doutal Enterprises.

Looking back on the good old days for the National Hotel, Guedo said it was more than just that building that was bustling at the time.

“It was a lot simpler back in those days,” he said. “All the business activity in the earlier years in Prince Albert was in the downtown area. There were lots of car dealerships, there were bakeries.”

Now, he said those times are but a memory as business slowly began to move out of downtown and into other shopping areas. One former hotel was knocked down to make way for Gateway Mall and the Cornerstone Shopping area hosts some of the major stores for residents.

“That is gone with shopping malls, big box stores and shopping centres. Our downtown is like other downtowns anywhere in Canada or around the world is suffering from lack of foot traffic.”

Earlier this year. Members of the Historical Society were given access to the hotel and saw firsthand what the building was like.

Amidst pieces of historical significance and those that bring a sense of deja-vu, reminiscing of the old times, were examples of how the building has changed. Metal bars make the front reception and lobby look like a jail cell. What was once an easy staircase to the upstairs is blocked by a security door.

(Submitted Photo/Prince Albert Historical Society)

Some of the doors of the old boilers have now been taken and will soon be housed in the Historical Museum.

Doors from the old boilers of the National Hotel now sit in the P.A. Historical Museum. (Derek Craddock/paNOW Staff)

Guidinger said it is a tough decision and has his own memories of the hotel.

“You never like to see these old buildings get demolished, but I think the National Hotel has served its purpose and the owners feel that it doesn’t fit with their vision anymore,” he said. “It’ll definitely leave a bit of a void downtown because it’s been there for so long.”

As for the future of the property, Guidinger said they will soon work with the owner on what to do next.

“We haven’t entered into any formal discussions into what they want to do there. Certainly, I look forward to working with the owner and their team on any future plans to make sure it meets their vision and the City of Prince Albert’s vision as well.”

For people like Guedo, the National Hotel will be remembered not just as a landmark but as a place where the community came together

“It’s almost like feeling comfortable in your living room. It’s like when you’re going to coffee with your friends, it was a gathering place.”

The demolition will only affect the National Hotel building. Georgie’s Beer and Wine Store will remain with some structural work needed to be completed once the hotel portion is taken down.

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derek.craddock@pattisonmedia.com

Twitter: @princealbertnow

by Derek Craddock

Historical city landmark on tap to be demolished

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